Wellington HE170 Memorial, Bjerndrup

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HE170 took off from Leconfield on the evening of 29 April 1943 for a mine-laying operation in Kiel Bay. In the early hours of 30 April, returning south over Jutland, it was attacked by Lt Meess of 6./NJG 3, guided by the 'Amiese' radar station on Lolland. The aircraft caught fire and Sgt Swain attempted a belly-landing in darkness near Bjerndrup; the Wellington skidded 500 m across a field and overturned in a drainage canal.

Two men — Sgts Wheatley and Curling — survived the crash with severe injuries. German forces took them to Tønder hospital, where both died within minutes of each other in early afternoon. The other three were found dead at the scene: Sgt Quick beneath the engine in the canal, Sgt Burgess also in the water. Sgt Swain was recovered from the canal and brought ashore. The five were buried at Aabenraa Cemetery on 7 May 1945, after the liberation.

The memorial stone erected on the 60th anniversary in 2003 has official standing through the Sønderjylland County sponsorship. The flensted.eu.com database — the primary scholarly resource for Danish WW2 aircrash sites — and the airmen.dk register both carry detailed records of this loss.

Sønderjylland County sponsored the information board and gave the memorial official standing. Text written by Frede Gotthardsen; translated by Eva da Silva and Kirsten Klitgård. The flensted.eu.com and airmen.dk databases — the two authoritative Danish WW2 aviation research resources — document the site in detail. The crew are buried at Aabenraa Cemetery.

Do you know of any commemorative events or annual services held at this memorial? We would love to hear from local communities who remember.